


Yours Magically

by woolfverse



Series: Woolfverse [20]
Category: Temeraire - Novik
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Character of Color, Gen, LGBTQ Character, Next-Gen, POV Third Person, Past Tense, helpless laughter, passive-aggressive notes, tooth fairy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-17
Updated: 2010-02-17
Packaged: 2017-10-07 14:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/65838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woolfverse/pseuds/woolfverse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is rarely a good idea to forget about playing tooth fairy for your daughter, unless you need a good laugh.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yours Magically

  
"Did you," Tharkay asked conversationally, as he and Will washed dishes, "remember to take care of Martha's..." He glanced around, and seeing neither of the children, continued in a low voice, "...tooth?"

Will frowned a moment, and then realization suddenly came over his face. "No, I forgot entirely. You don't think she's...realized?"

"If she has, it won't be the end of the world," Tharkay replied, though he felt more disquieted by the possibility than he would have expected to. Taking a sponge to the plate in his hand, he scrubbed it vigorously.

Late that night, when Tharkay was finishing an article due the next morning, the door to his study opened. Will slipped in, looking dearly as though he was moments from bursting into raucous laughter. When Tharkay glanced up at him questioningly, Will thrust a sheet of brightly coloured notepaper towards him.

"Read it," Will managed to get out before his words dissolved into an undignified chortle. He sat down in the extra desk chair and made no effort to quell his snickering. "I--couldn't risk waking them up by laughing, but--Lord, Tharkay--"

Scrawled carefully on Martha's very best Hello Kitty stationery was a brief missive to the tooth fairy. Tharkay could not resist reading it aloud in a murmur. "Dear Tooth Fairy. My tooth has been here for 3 days. It will get icky and old if you do not tak--?" Tharkay raised an eyebrow at the words. "Oh, _take_. It will get icky and old if you do not take it. That is your job. Please do it, or I won't give you my teeth anymore. Love, Martha Lhamo Laurence-Tharkay."

Years of practice were all that kept him from joining Will in helpless snorts; as it was, he was unable to make it to the final sentence without laughing. "How is it," he asked, when Will seemed likely to recover from his amusement soon, "that she remembered to spell everything correctly except the word 'take'?"

"I haven't the faintest idea," Will said, yet gasping for a sure breath. "We will have to write a reply, you know."

"She'll recognize our handwriting, surely."

"Make it a business letter and type it. Very--very official." There were tears in Will's eyes, and Tharkay couldn't help but consider this a somewhat satisfying bit of revenge for all those fights Will had won by use of tickling. Each time it seemed Will might be at a point of composure, something set him off again; at this rate, it seemed likely he'd be incapacitated until morning. "If you type it, I'll--I'll put it under her pillow."

Tharkay nodded and turned back to his laptop. In a few minutes, he had a missive prepared, and, as he didn't trust Will's ability to make it through a single sentence without dissolving into more laughter, read it aloud for his benefit. "Dear Ms. Laurence-Tharkay. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Please find enclosed fifty pence and my sincere apologies on behalf of the Tooth Fairy community. This is our busy season, and I am not sure how your tooth was lost in the shuffle, but you may rest assured it will not happen again. Yours magically, your local Tooth Fairy."

Somehow, listening to this was enough to sober Will enough that he could hold up his end of the bargain. He'd folded the letter into thirds and had halfway slipped out the door before pausing to ask, "I'm going to bed after this. Will you be up late tonight?"

"Not terribly." Tharkay scanned his work and considered; another paragraph of fawning over a star cricket player, some editing, and he could call it a night. "Twenty minutes or so."

"All right," Will answered. "I'll wait up, then."

After the door clicked shut, Tharkay found himself unable to suppress a cackle before returning to work.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this passive-aggressive notes post](http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2010/02/09/look-tooth-fairy-heres-the-deal/). The modus operandi around here lately has been, "cute story involving children? STEALS FOR WOOLFVERSE."


End file.
